6 worked Lacombe case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to Lacombe and its provincial tax regime, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
$45,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Mechanical and HVAC Contractor, Lacombe
Client: A mechanical and HVAC contractor · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$45,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation — A mechanical and HVAC contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
A mechanical and HVAC contractor in Lacombe, Alberta was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. Instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown explained most of the gap.
What we did for A mechanical and HVAC contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year. We also built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result — A mechanical and HVAC contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
$45,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 2 · Deadline rescue
8-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $142,000 — Logging Contractor, Lacombe
Client: A logging contractor · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$142,000
Filed with8 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation — A logging contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
A logging contractor in Lacombe, Alberta was weeks away from the deadline for its AB tax and accounting file. Behind that sat a registration threshold crossed on out-of-province sales that nobody was tracking. The exposure if the date slipped was around $142,000.
What we did for A logging contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
We registered for the out-of-province obligations that had been triggered, then reconciled the GST filings to the sales ledger province by province. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result — A logging contractor, Lacombe, Alberta
Filed with 8 days to spare. $142,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Client: A custom home builder · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$58,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation — A custom home builder, Lacombe, Alberta
The structure at a custom home builder in Lacombe, Alberta needed fixing. The file was carrying sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before. Every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did for A custom home builder, Lacombe, Alberta
We worked with the client's lawyer. Together, we assessed and claimed Alberta Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return. We also prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result — A custom home builder, Lacombe, Alberta
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $58,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $335,000 Deferred — Solar Installation Company, Lacombe
Client: A solar installation company · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$335,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation — A solar installation company, Lacombe, Alberta
A generational transfer at a solar installation company in Lacombe, Alberta had been discussed for years without a plan. No valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did for A solar installation company, Lacombe, Alberta
We assessed and claimed Alberta Innovation Employment Grant alongside the federal return. We sequenced the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result — A solar installation company, Lacombe, Alberta
$335,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
$88,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Concrete and Forming Crew, Lacombe
Client: A concrete and forming crew · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$88,000
File closed in11 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation — A concrete and forming crew, Lacombe, Alberta
A concrete and forming crew in Lacombe, Alberta received a proposal letter opening a review of its AB tax and accounting file. The CRA had identified payroll obligations from another province applied to local staff by an out-of-province provider. It proposed an adjustment of $88,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did for A concrete and forming crew, Lacombe, Alberta
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year. We then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result — A concrete and forming crew, Lacombe, Alberta
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $88,000 of it. The file closed in 11 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$32,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Cattle Ranch, Lacombe
Client: A cattle ranch · Where: Lacombe, Alberta · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$32,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation — A cattle ranch, Lacombe, Alberta
A cattle ranch in Lacombe, Alberta asked for a second opinion on its AB tax and accounting file. That followed three years of rising tax. The review found instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown.
What we did for A cattle ranch, Lacombe, Alberta
We built the comparison first: current structure against two alternatives. Then we registered for the out-of-province obligations that had been triggered, then reconciled the GST filings to the sales ledger province by province.
The result — A cattle ranch, Lacombe, Alberta
First-year saving of $32,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
